Bennet's Determinism Or Free Will?
Do we have free will, or is everything we do traceable to a complex series of causes and effects over which we have no control? In other words, is free will actually free or are there consequences to certain decisions that are made? There have been a number of claims that address free will from various theories derived from philosophers that have dissected philosophical ideas regarding the problem with free will. Free will is defines as the idea that we have the ability to make choices in how we act and a course of action from various options (Free Will, 2016). To be clear, this does not grant someone the ability to do whatever they choose, but the topic has opened many streams of debate. Philosophical views on free will have caused quite a
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In other words, the decisions that are made eventually come together with the laws of nature to bring about all future events. Determinism can be associated with cause and effect because the events within that pattern are bound by a connection in such a way that any event is completely determined by prior states. Philosopher Daniel Bennet explains that the question is not whether free will exists but whether we can be morally competent. Bennet goes into detail by discussing the Determinism theory. If determinism is true, then the future is inevitable and all choices are inevitable which means unavoidable (Philosophy of Free Will, 2016). There are other varieties of determinism, but one of interest is that of Predeterminism. Predeterminism is surrounded by the idea that all events are determined in advance. From a theological point of view, God has already charted every event throughout life. Many religious and spiritual organizations believe that predeterminism explains the theology that God has a roadmap for everyone’s life because all events have been pre-designed prior to birth and no events happen because of chance (Predeterminism, 2015). It is the belief that the future is already known based on the idea of foreknowledge. R.E. Hobart was actually a student of William James who challenged the views of James regarding free will. Hobart felt that it was acceptable …show more content…
Free will affects morality, responsibility, even consciousness and theology (Philosophy of Free, 2016). By definition, predestination is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God because God determines our fate. Earlier it was addressed that William James opposed determinism because he believed in alternate outcomes which he accounted to chance encounters. James also accepted Darwin’s theory on human evolution. In contrast of the Darwin theory, compatibilism and predestination embrace the relevance of God’s role as it applies to free will. A Calvinist by the name of James White explains,” The belief that God’s sovereign decree and man’s creaturely will coexist and that God judges on the basis of the intentions of the heart, there in fact, is a ground for morality and justice” (Celebration Church, 2014). To further support God’s predestination and free will, the Bible speaks of “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God,” in Acts 2:23. The idea of God’s foreknowledge grants the logical basis by which a higher power dwells independent of all time and space that foresees the will of man and work His own will accordingly (Bible Hub, 2016). Based on the idea that free will and predeterminism work together, choices made can alter how long it takes to arrive at the predestined
In other words, the decisions that are made eventually come together with the laws of nature to bring about all future events. Determinism can be associated with cause and effect because the events within that pattern are bound by a connection in such a way that any event is completely determined by prior states. Philosopher Daniel Bennet explains that the question is not whether free will exists but whether we can be morally competent. Bennet goes into detail by discussing the Determinism theory. If determinism is true, then the future is inevitable and all choices are inevitable which means unavoidable (Philosophy of Free Will, 2016). There are other varieties of determinism, but one of interest is that of Predeterminism. Predeterminism is surrounded by the idea that all events are determined in advance. From a theological point of view, God has already charted every event throughout life. Many religious and spiritual organizations believe that predeterminism explains the theology that God has a roadmap for everyone’s life because all events have been pre-designed prior to birth and no events happen because of chance (Predeterminism, 2015). It is the belief that the future is already known based on the idea of foreknowledge. R.E. Hobart was actually a student of William James who challenged the views of James regarding free will. Hobart felt that it was acceptable …show more content…
Free will affects morality, responsibility, even consciousness and theology (Philosophy of Free, 2016). By definition, predestination is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God because God determines our fate. Earlier it was addressed that William James opposed determinism because he believed in alternate outcomes which he accounted to chance encounters. James also accepted Darwin’s theory on human evolution. In contrast of the Darwin theory, compatibilism and predestination embrace the relevance of God’s role as it applies to free will. A Calvinist by the name of James White explains,” The belief that God’s sovereign decree and man’s creaturely will coexist and that God judges on the basis of the intentions of the heart, there in fact, is a ground for morality and justice” (Celebration Church, 2014). To further support God’s predestination and free will, the Bible speaks of “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God,” in Acts 2:23. The idea of God’s foreknowledge grants the logical basis by which a higher power dwells independent of all time and space that foresees the will of man and work His own will accordingly (Bible Hub, 2016). Based on the idea that free will and predeterminism work together, choices made can alter how long it takes to arrive at the predestined